Little Sister
by Spike868
Summary: Angel discovers a familiar face when he rescues a young girl in an alley.
1. Familiar Faces

Little Sister

Summary: Angel had a little sister when he was human. As he discovers on the streets of Los Angeles one night, she's still alive. But she's not a vampire.

Author's Note: This story is set sometimes during season 3, but before Connor's birth and Darla's return.

Chapter One: Familiar Faces

It was a cold night, and Angel was out patrolling while the others were back at the hotel. He was scaling the rooftops, on the prowl looking for demons who were looking for something else.

Down in an alley Angel saw a young girl cornered by three vamps. Being the hero, Angel immediately jumped down to rescue her. A fight broke out, and Angel soon found himself surrounded by the three vampires.

'You might wanna leave, if you know what's good for ya,' one of them said to Angel.

'Actually, I think I'd rather stay.' Angel replied. He swung his fist and knocked one of the vamps down, and soon had the other two directing blows at him. He managed to block them all until the third got back up and regained his stability.

A vampire grabbed Angel's left arm and another grabbed his right, while the third stood in front of him. They brought him up against a wall and began beating him up.

'Ugh! Ugh!' Angel grunted with every blow. 'You. Might. Want. To. Run. Now.' Angel said between punches to his stomach. He wriggled free within moments of his last word and quickly the fight overturned and Angel was in power. Although he was bleeding slightly, his ribs were aching and he was feeling rather tired after a long night, Angel managed to stake one of the vampire before snapping another's neck. The third knew what was good for him and took off before Angel could go after him.

He bent over, resting his hands on his knees for support and began breathing heavily. He clutched his ribs and coughed twice. He heard footsteps behind him and spun around slowly to find a young girl standing in the alley.

'Liam?' The young girl whispered. She ran up to him and threw her arms around him. 'It's me Liam, your sister. Don't you remember me?'

Angel stared in shock at the young girl standing before him. She did look familiar to him, but there was no possible way she could be his sister. She could be no older than about 12, and Angel clearly remembered Angelus killing her just after he was turned.

'You can't be here.' Angel murmured. 'You… I killed you.'

'But Liam, it's me. It's your Kathy.' She smiled warmly at him. 'I've missed you so.' Angel was mesmerized by her simple, stunning smile and innocent brown eyes. He suddenly recognised her; it was indeed his sister.

'Kathy.' He whispered. 'But how?' Her smile faded.

'Liam, I've been around for a long time.'

'But I killed you Kathy, God I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?'

'Yes Liam, but even after you killed me I still lived. Something brought me back and I've been living since that day. Liam, it's been so hard adjusting to the new worlds. I've had to live in so many different places with so many different people; father would have hated me to live this way. Can you help me?' She pleaded.

'Of course. Uh, why don't you come back to the hotel with me.' Angel held out his hand, and Kathy took hold of it. She smiled up at him, and Angel looked down on her as the sweet, innocent young girl she was.

He led her out of the alley and back to the hotel. As they walked through the night, Angel asked her about her life.

'You look pretty up-to-date with society, where have you been getting clothes, food and money from?'

'A shelter a few streets away from here.' Kathy replied. 'It's a nice place, friendly people.' Angel smiled. At least she was being taken care of.

'So, how's life been?'

'I won't say pleasant because then I'd be lying, and father wouldn't like that.' Kathy replied. 'I've been miserable, longing for somebody to talk to who I knew. I've wanted to be normal, but I haven't been able to keep up with the times as they've been constantly changing.' Angel led her down the street and around the corner. They approached the hotel and Angel asked one final question before they went inside.

'It's alright now.' He told her. 'Kathy, I'm going to introduce you to my friends. 'Please, don't be frightened, they won't hurt you.'

'I'm not afraid.' She said. 'I'd love to meet your friends. Dad always used to say that the friends you had were drunks and layabouts, like you. But I never thought that.'

Angel painfully thought back to the days when he was still alive and when his father only ever thought of him as a drinking, whoring scoundrel who would never amount to anything. Angelus showed him, and Angel shuddered at the thought.

'Thanks Kathy. Come on inside.' Angel opened the door and ushered her in, closing the door behind them. Wesley, Cordelia, Fred, Gunn and Connor all moved into the lobby when they heard the door.

'Angel.' Cordelia spoke first. 'Who's?' She stopped before she could finish her question.

'Uh, guys, this is Kathy.'

'Hello Kathy.' Cordelia approached and Kathy stepped behind Angel and held onto his waist.

'Kathy, you said you we're afraid of them. They won't hurt you, I promise.' Angel tried to coax her.

'There are so many people.' Kathy whispered.

'No, just a few.'

'Kathy, why don't you come down here?' Cordelia offered to the unknown young girl. She cautiously stepped out from behind Angel and he brought her down the stairs. Cordelia stepped back to allow her and Angel space, and he brought her over to the counter. He lifted her up and sat her on the bench so she was at the same height as everyone else.

'Angel, where did you find this young girl?' Wesley asked quietly, stepping up beside Angel.

'Three vamps had her cornered in an alley.' Angel replied sheepishly. 'She said something to me… unexpected.' He added.

'What do you mean?' Wesley asked.

'Liam.' Kathy said, turning to Angel. 'Do you have a bathroom?'

'_Liam_?' Wesley repeated. 'Angel, what is going on?'

'Kathy, just give me a second, okay?' Angel answered her, ignoring Wesley for a minute. Kathy nodded. Angel returned his attention to Wesley.

'Angel?' He asked again for an answer.

'Wes, meet my sister, Kathy.' He put his hand on her shoulder. Everyone gaped in shock.

'_Excuse me_?' Cordelia spoke after the moments of silence. 'Did you say, _sister_?'

'Yes, Cordelia. She's my sister.'

'But she's barely 12 years-old Angel.' Wesley said.

'It's hard to explain. Can you give me a minute?' Angel picked his sister up and put her down on the floor before leading her down a small hallway underneath the stairs to the bathroom. Wesley, Cordelia, Fred, Gunn and Connor stood in the lobby, with a thousand thoughts running through their mind.

_How could this young girl be Angel's sister_? _Angel killed his sister when he first became a vampire, so how can she be alive over 200 years later_? _Where has she been all this time_? _What has she been doing_?

They had to sit down and have a talk with Angel. He was the only one with answers.

Author's Note: This is just a weird idea that came to me while I was writing another fic. I just thought it would be interesting to see Angel's sister come back into the picture and have Angel have to deal with family issues. There'll be more eof that next chapter.


	2. The Explanation

Chapter Two: The Explanation

'Kathy, I'll just be back out in the lobby. Just come back and join us where you're done.' Angel was completely unsure of what he was to say to Kathy. He hadn't seen her in over 200 years, and suddenly there she was. What was he supposed to do?

He wandered back out into the lobby to find confused and surprised expressions on all his friends' faces.

'You wanna tell us what's going on here Angel?' Cordelia asked first.

'Yeah, you say that little girl is your sister?' Gunn added.

'Yes, that's my little sister.' Angel confirmed. 'Before you ask me how she's here, I'll answer your question now with I don't know. She was just there, in the alley, but I don't know how she could be.'

'Did she say anything to you?' Wesley asked.

'She said that she's been alive ever since…' his voice trailed off.

'Ever since what?' Cordelia pressed. Wesley understood.

'Since Angelus killed her.' He answered for Angel, who simply nodded.

'Well does that make her a vampire?' Fred asked.

'No, she's not a vampire.' Angel replied. 'I'd be able to smell it, and she'd be a lot less kind.' Fred was quiet after his response, stepping back out of the circle. She was still trying to fit in.

Kathy emerged from the bathroom to find everyone questioning Angel.

'So where did you find her?' Wesley asked. 'How far from here?'

'Just a couple of blocks, not that far.' Angel answered.

'Where was she staying?'

'She said she was staying at a shelter a block in the other direction.'

'It's a nice place, really. The people there are so friendly.' Kathy said, entering the conversation. Everyone was silent for a minute until Angel spoke.

'Um Kathy, can you tell me exactly _how_ you came to be alive?'

'Well, something brought me back to life. I don't know who he was, he just came to me and then suddenly I was alive. He made me do things…'

Angel perked up when he heard those words. _What did he make her do?_ He asked himself.

'Kathy, what sort of things?' Angel asked before anyone else had the chance.

'He told me that I had to hunt things. People. And that I had to kill them before they killed me.'

'What did you do?' Cordelia asked.

'I did as he asked. He told me something would come after me if I didn't do as he said.'

'But what did he ask you to do?' Wesley pressed for answers, seeing the look on Angel's face. He was furious that someone had taken advantage of Kathy, and it clearly showed.

'I had to kill people.' Kathy repeated.

'Kathy, who did you kill?' Angel asked.

'Well… they weren't exactly people. Some of them were, a few, but most of them were beastly-looking giants. I killed them all.' Angel's jaw dropped. He was speechless, as was everyone else in the room. Fred hid behind Gunn, and Wesley stood silently near him. Cordelia stepped back and leant up against the counter, thinking of all the awful things Kathy had to go through over the years.

'How many have you killed?' Angel asked, the first to speak after a prolonged silence.

'I don't know. Lots?' Kathy suggested.

'Take a guess.' Angel added.

'I was told to kill at least one a week.' Kathy replied. Angel instantly looked over to Fred for the mathematical figure of "how many".

'Oh… um…'Fred thought for a moment, doing the math in her head before working out a figure. '10400.'

Angel's jaw dropped again, even lower. _Everyone's_ jaw dropped as they realised what this young girl had to do.

'Kathy, have you been doing this all the way up until now?' Angel asked.

'Up until the time when the Second World War was on.' Kathy replied. 'It was then that I escaped from Nero.'

'Who's Nero?' Gunn asked.

'Is he the man who told you to kill people?' Wesley asked in the nicest way he possibly could. Kathy nodded.

'Is Nero dead?' Angel asked.

'No. I managed to get away from him, but it was hard. He had a tracer on me that I managed to remove, and I've been running from him ever since. Back in the alley, I thought he'd found me.'

'He's out looking for you?' Angel gasped.

'He's been searching for me since the war began. It's been a long time, but I don't know how long.'

'60 years.' Angel answered quickly. 'I was a part of World War Two, and I never even knew you were here. I was forced to retrieve a German submarine, with Spike nonetheless.' Angel scowled before continuing. 'And I never even knew that you were in need to help. I didn't even know that you were alive.'

'Liam, I've been okay.' Kathy told him. 'Really, you shouldn't worry.'

'Kathy, this guy Nero will still be out there looking for you.' Angel snapped. He was becoming the over-protective older brother. 'I have to protect you from him, keep you safe.'

'Liam, I'll be okay. Do not worry for me, I've survived this long.'

'She's got a point Angel. She's obviously a very strong girl…' Wesley was interrupted.

'I don't care how strong she is or how many things she's killed; she's still my little sister. I have a right to protect her, and I have to now that I know someone is after her.' Angel explained.

'What can we do to help?' Cordelia asked.

'Wesley, I want to know everything there is to know about this Nero guy. What he looks like, his strengths and weaknesses but most of all where I can find him. And I want to know now.'

'I'm on it Angel.' Wesley replied, darting through the crowd and into his office where he kept all his books.

'Cordy, I want you to take Kathy up and give her the room across the hall from me.' Cordelia nodded and took Kathy's hand, leading her away. She exchanged a glance with Angel. His was of worry and regret, while hers was of total innocence.

'Fred, Gunn, can you help Wesley with the research?'

'Sure, I haven't done me any good reading lately.' Gunn answered. Fred nodded and followed Gunn as he headed after Wesley.

Angel was left alone in the lobby as he watched Cordelia take Kathy upstairs. He knew what he had to do. He had to get out there are find out everything he could about who Nero was.

Author's Note: I've got great plans for this story if readers support it. I'd like to know if anyone likes the turn I've taken with it.


	3. Who Is Nero?

Chapter Three: Who is Nero?

Wesley scanned the pages in his books for what seemed like hours. With Fred and Gunn helping look too, he figured it wouldn't be long before they turned up something of use.

'Here. Got him.' Gunn said. Wesley held out his hand for the book from Gunn, who rolled his eyes and handed it over. Wesley looked at the small picture on one page, with a tiny bit of text beneath it. It wasn't in English; he assumed it might be Scandinavian from the symbols used. 'What does it say Wes?' Wesley began reading out what he could decipher.

'Nero was a… hunting demon.' Wesley read. 'He controlled an army of slaves who hunted _for_ him, and brought him…' Wesley paused before adding, 'Oh. Eww.'

'Brought him what?'

'Vital organs.' Wesley replied. He continued reading. 'Nero's army was small but gathered him enough organs, mostly hearts, to perform a ritual to make him… oh great.' Wesley's expression changed to one of defeat as he looked up at Gunn. '… Invincible.' He finished.

'So this guy can't be killed?' Gunn concluded.

'Wait, there's more.' Wesley told him before finishing the last of the text. 'One of his more powerful slaves managed to overpower him. Gynash. Guy-na-ash' Wesley used the English pronunciation hint to help him say the name correctly.

'And what did this Gynash do exactly?' Gunn asked. Fred looked on eagerly, strangely interested in the subject.

'He escaped from Nero after attempting to kill him in 1812.' Wesley looked up. 'It says Nero went after him and killed him by 1816.'

'Oh.' Gunn sighed. 'Does it say anything at all about how to stop this Nero guy? Anything?'

Wesley looked back down at the book and read the last sentence. 'Nero is also known as the Collector. That's it.'

'The Collector? That doesn't help us.' Gunn scowled. Wesley suddenly had an idea.

'Maybe it does. If I cross-reference Nero with his other name as the Collector, maybe I can find out more about him.' He informed Gunn.

'Will that work?' Fred piped up.

'If we can find the book _Dark Souls of the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries_ then we may have a chance. I know I have it somewhere here…' Wesley began searching the remaining books on his shelf, going along the rows until he found what he was looking for. 'Aha! I knew it was here.' He pulled a large solid brown leather-covered book off the shelf and thumped it down on the desk.

Fred jumped, and Gunn stared in amazement at the size of the book. 'Where the heck did you find that thing?' He asked.

'Picked it up on the Black market about 8 months ago. I knew it would come in handy.' Wesley answered, flipping the book open carefully and turning alphabetically to C.

He ran his finger down some of the names that were close together until he found what he was looking for. There it was in plainness on the page. _The Collector_. There was about half a page of text about him, all in another language. Wesley again guessed Scandinavian. He read over the text, his eyes widening when he reached the last paragraph.

'What is it Wes?' Gunn asked, seeing Wesley's expression change. He remained silent, not answering Gunn until he asked again. 'Wes?'

'It says…' Wesley paused before reading out all that was written in the final paragraph. 'The Collector's most well known strength is his invulnerability. He has no weakness known to man, except for when his power must be renewed one every 200 years. Only during the time he is performing the ritual can he be killed, and not by any instrument known to man.'

'Great. How can he be killed?' Gunn asked. Wesley looked up.

'I don't know.' He looked back up to the first paragraph. 'Human weapons, forged in any time period, cannot harm The Collector. He is invincible to fire, water, air and earth; all the elements that combine to form the Earth. He cannot be beaten by nature, man, or any of man's creations. He is eternal.'

'Well isn't that positive. He's gonna be around forever so there is no way we can stop him from killing Kathy.'

'Wesley, can I see the book?' Fred asked suddenly.

'Sure.' Wesley pushed the book over and Fred stood above it, reading the words over her glasses. A smile appeared on her face as she proudly declared her findings.

'Here, beneath the picture.' She pointed for Wesley to see. 'It says that a combination of the four elements is what can destroy him.'

'Damn, did you see the picture in the other book?' Gunn asked. 'That dude is bigger than all of us.'

'Not by much Gunn, the picture is described as showing his height in proportion to man. He's probably only a little taller than you or me.'

Suddenly there was a crash in the lobby. Cordelia appeared at the top of the stairs, with Kathy safely in her room. Wesley, Gunn and Fred rushed out of Wesley's office to see what was going on.

Angel was lying on the floor against the front desk, with a tall man standing on the landing inside the front double doors. Wesley, Gunn and Fred recognised who it was all-too-easily. It was Nero, The Collector. He had tracked down Kathy, and found them.

Author's Note: Thankyou so much to all the people who reviewed. I hope you're enjoying the story, and I can promise you there is plenty more to come.


	4. Settling Kathy

Author's Note: This chapter and the next run side-by-side with the previous chapter. It's each character doing something different at the same time, and it was hard to write, so I just decided to break it up into different chapters. I hope it's not too confusing for anyone. This is Cordy and Kathy, next will be Angel.

Chapter Four: Settling Kathy

Cordelia led Kathy upstairs as she listened to Angel directing Gunn and Fred to help Wesley. She looked back down and watched Angel leave, the double doors swinging shut behind him.

'Where's Liam going?' Kathy asked. Cordelia looked down at the young girl who was holding her hand.

'Um…' she hesitated. 'He's gone to take care of some business.'

'He's not going to stay and protect me?' she asked.

'Oh honey, that's exactly what he's doing. He's protecting you.' Cordelia assured her. She wanted Kathy to feel safe.

'Are you sure?'

'Positive.' Cordelia smiled warmly and led Kathy to Angel's room. 'This is Angel's room.' She said, gesturing to the closed door beside her that said 312 in gold coloured numbers. Cordelia then turned around the face the other side of the hallway and directed Kathy into another room directly opposite of Angel's. 'This is yours.'

'Why do you call Liam _Angel_?' Kathy asked, curious. Cordelia gently ushered her into the room.

'It's the name that he earned himself.' Cordelia answered, unsure of how to break this to her.

'Is he an angel?' Kathy pressed. Cordelia softened.

'Oh honey, his name doesn't mean that he's an angel.' She smiled, almost chuckling at the simplicity of the answer, which she strangely couldn't find the words to explain.

'Well tell me what it means then.' Kathy demanded, remaining sweet and innocent as she had all along.

'Do you know what Angel is?' Cordelia became serious, secretly hoping that somehow Kathy would understand everything there was to understand about Angel.

'Yes. He's a vampire. I've seen lost of his kind, everywhere I go. I've killed many, just like he killed me.' Cordelia broke.

'Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry. Do you not want to talk about it?' Cordelia whispered as she sat Kathy down on the bed, then lowered herself down.

'No, it's alright. I forgave Liam long ago, he is my brother after all.' Kathy grinned, showing the love she had for Angel.

'Alright.'

'So, his name? Angel? How did he get it?' Kathy asked again.

'Well, when Angel was first made into a vampire, his sire Darla gave him a name.' Cordelia explained.

'Angel?' Kathy asked.

'No. Angelus. It translated in Latin to "the one with the angelic face", so that became who Angelus was.' Cordelia paused, trying to remember everything she knew about Angel's past so as not to tell his sister wrong facts.

'So how did he become Angel then?' Kathy replied, asking the same question again that she desperately wanted answers for. She didn't know why, but suddenly she wanted to know everything about her brother; including his ungodly past.

'Well, when Angelus got his soul, he suffered for all the bad things he'd done. Killing you and the rest of his family as well as all the other people he killed across Europe in the 1700's. I think it was the 1700's…' Cordelia thought for a moment before getting back to informing Kathy about her brother. 'He slightly changed his name; taking it from Angelus to Angel and changing his image as the, excuse this if you didn't already know, Scourge of Europe. Kathy, he's a much different man that when you last saw him. He's changed, for the better.'

Kathy smiled warmly. 'I understand.' She replied. 'Angel is Liam, as a vampire. He's a good guy, but he used to be a bad guy. He's changed and he's doing good now, after suffering for everything bad he did.' Kathy summed up what Cordelia had just finished.

'Exactly.' Cordelia answered. Suddenly Cordelia heard a crash downstairs. It sounded as if it came from the lobby, so Cordelia ran out of the room, telling Kathy to stay behind. 'Do not leave this room until I come back.'

Cordelia reached the top of the stairs, and looked down to the lobby below. Wesley, Gunn and Fred appeared out of Wesley's office and Cordelia could just see the body of a man lying on the floor below, his lower half sticking out from underneath the edge of the balcony.

Cordelia's mouth gaped open when she saw a dark figure standing on the landing just inside the door, and she made one single quick guess as to who it was. Nero.

Author's Note: Another chapter up. Hope you like the ideas I'm getting here, cos they seem to be making some good writing stuff… um… yeah anyway. I like reviews. (hint, hint) BTW, sorry if these chapters seem to be a little bit short, but I can't write everything down.

Next chapter, Angel. What does he do while Wes, Gunn and Fred hit the books and Cordelia shows Kathy to her room? Keep reading to find out.


	5. The Hunt

Author's Note: This chapter runs side-by-side with the previous chapter and the one before it also. It's each character doing something different at the same time, and it was hard to write, so I just decided to break it up into different chapters. I hope it's not too confusing for anyone. This is Angel.

Chapter Five: The Hunt

Angel had just instructed Gunn and Fred to help Wesley, and as they left he found himself alone in the lobby. Thoughts were racing through his mind of the task on hand, and what he had to do. He had to find out every possible piece of information about Nero.

So he headed out. He didn't wait to see if anything would go wrong, because he simply thought that it wouldn't. There was no way that Nero would find them this soon, he probably didn't even know where to start looking. So within about two minutes he was several blocks away, and he saw his first piece of meat, his prey.

A single demon stood inside the entrance to an alley, alone. Angel stalked it for a block before tackling it and forcing it down another alley.

'Hey, what's the deal man?' the demon screeched. Angel pinned it to the side of a building and forced his face close to it.

'I'm searching for some information.' Angel told the demon.

'What makes you think I got the goods you need?' it asked him. Angel vamped out and snarled at the demon.

'Just a hunch.' He whispered tauntingly. 'Now tell me, what do you know of a guy called Nero?'

'Nero?' The demon choked out the name. He was clearly terrified. 'Never heard of the guy.'

'Now you see, I think you're lying.' Angel said. 'I think that you know more than you're tell me.'

'No, no you're wrong. I don't know anything.' Angel's expression and a snarl forced the demon to change his mind. 'Well actually, now that I think about it I have heard of him. Yeah, Nero. He's like some kind of superior demon or something. Inter-dimensional guy, not one to be messed with. If he's after you, he'll find you.'

'How can I find him?' Angel snarled, finally getting some information out of the demon.

'Well, you can't.' He replied. 'If you're looking for this guy, chances are he's looking for you too.' Angel froze.

'How will he find me if I can't find him?' Angel asked.

'He's only seen when he wants to be seen.' The demon answered. Angel considered the comment for a moment.

'He's _invisible_?' Angel concluded, surprised.

'Well, in a word… yeah. He's gonna find you, but you've got not chance of finding him.' Angel released the demon, who he considered to be playing along willingly and telling the truth.

'So you're telling me that the only way I'll find him is if he finds me?' Angel asked, making sure he fully understood.

'Exactly right.'

'I can't wait that long.'

'Sorry mate, I can't do anything about that.' Angel saw the expression on the demon's face. He was hiding something.

'There's something you're not telling me.'

'What? No.' The demon was quick to answer. Angel forced him back up against the wall.

'Tell me what you're hiding.' Angel demanded.

'Nothing. Why do you think I'm hiding something? I told you what I know about this guy, what more do you want?'

'I want you to tell me what you haven't already.'

'There's nothing more!' the demon yelled in his face. Angel released him, feeling a little defeated, and turned to leave. He heard the demon snickering behind him. When he spun around, the demon was still laughing. 'You think you know…' it whispered. 'You think that you can protect her from him. You have no idea, and she has no chance.' It turned and ran out of the alley before Angel could even move.

_If you're looking for this guy, chances are he's looking for you too_. _He's gonna find you_._ You have no idea, and she has no chance_.

It suddenly occurred to Angel that in light of this new information, Nero probably already knew where Kathy was. He realised at that exact moment that he had to get back to the Hyperion as soon as possible, because Nero was quite possibly on his way there or there already. Angel knew he couldn't risk it any longer, and ran the three blocks back to the hotel.

When he arrived back, the lobby was empty. _Phew_, he thought, thankful that he might have been wrong. Nero hadn't found them, and the demon was only taunting him with the fear he had of his sister in danger.

Suddenly Angel felt two hands push him hard from behind and he flew several metres across the lobby before rolling along the floor and coming to rest against the front desk. He flipped himself over and looked up to see Cordelia's face peering over the top of the railing, looking down at him in shock and confusion. He saw Wesley, Gunn and Fred appear out of Wesley's office. But as he looked over to see who had thrown him across the room, he could only guess who the tall, dark and shadowy figure standing on the landing was. It couldn't be anyone other than Nero.

Author's Note: Well, now we're all up to date with what happened back at the end of chapter 3. In case anybody was wondering (because I know that so many stories can go for multiple chapters and go on and on and on… and on) I don't really know how long this story will go for. A friend who read what I've written so far asked how long it was going to be, and honestly, I don't have any idea. All I can say is that when it ends, I hope that readers are happy with the outcome. At the moment, I'm just going with the flow. It seems to be working. What do you think?

Next chapter: Nero's here, but what happens? Nero personally attacks Angel, threatens and blackmails him, all for the one little girl that means more to him than anything in the world. What will he do?


	6. First Confrontation with NeroCollector

Chapter Six: The First Confrontation with Nero/The Collector

'The weapons cabinet!' Wesley called out, darting past Gunn, Fred and Angel. He grabbed a sword and threw it to Gunn, slid a small blade across the floor to Fred and then dropped another sword beside Angel as he ran past with one of his own.

'What happened to _invincible to human weapons_?' Gunn asked.

'Wouldn't you feel better having something to protect yourself with?' Wesley shot back. At this remark, Gunn gripped his sword tighter and kept his gaze on Nero. Angel struggled to his feet, and Cordelia stared in shock, trying to hide behind a pillar at the top of the stairs.

As Wesley, Gunn, Angel and Fred formed a semi-circle in the lobby, Nero grinned. He then began laughing softly, almost manically.

'You have something of mine.' He said in a raspy voice. 'I want it back.'

'_It_ has a name.' Angel said through gritted teeth.

'Angel, we can't hurt him.' Wesley whispered to Angel. He turned and gave Wesley a puzzled look.

'What?'

'That's right worthless human; you can't do any harm to me. I am invincible, and nothing forged by nature nor man can cause any damage to me. You cannot win, so hand over the girl.'

'Never.' Angel replied. 'I'd try a thousand times to kill you before handing over my sister.' A low growl escaped his throat, and he still stood his ground.

'Your sister? Well, isn't that interesting. I saved her after _you _killed her.' He pointed out to Angel, wanting to push his buttons. 'Why would you do that to your sister?'

'It wasn't me.' Angel said again through gritted teeth.

'Oh sure it wasn't… Liar! I saw you do it! Slaughtering your family is not something that you can just say _I_ _didn't do it_.'

'I did it, but it wasn't me back then. It was Angelus.' Angel told Nero, not wanting to relive the terrible deed.

'Right. And there's such a difference between you two. You're a vampire Angel, start acting like one.'

Angel's expression changed instantly. He was surprised that Nero knew who he was… as Angel, not just Angelus.

'Fine.' Angel vamped out, running towards Nero.

'Angel!' Wesley shouted. 'It's suicide!' Angel swung his sword swiftly in one motion, but Nero ducked. Angel stumbled up the stairs, but with a quick knee-up from Nero he found himself falling back down to the floor. Painfully, he rolled aside before Nero jumped down after him.

A fight broke out between the two, with Angel clearly losing. A punch here, a kick there. A bone breaking here, bleeding and bruising there. Angel survived for longer than Wesley thought he might, until Nero got a hold of his sword.

'Well, looky what I got here.' He raised the sword, swung it and cut deep into the side of Angel's upper arm. He cried out in pain, staggering back and holding his wound with his free hand. Nero launched out with the sword and plunged it deep into Angel's stomach.

He felt it rip thought his skin, and poke out his back. Groaning in pain as he felt blood trickling out, Angel continued to stagger back. Nero reached out and grabbed hold of the handle, and Angel instantly looked up into his eyes.

'Where is the girl?' He demanded.

Angel began breathing heavily. 'I'll never tell you.' His vampire face disappeared as blood trickled from his mouth and nose. Nero ripped the sword from Angel and at the same time kicked him away. He screamed in pain and fell to the floor. Fred rushed to his side, abandoning her weapon. Nero made his way towards Wesley and Gunn, leaving Fred to deal with Angel and a giant gaping wound.

Angel lay on his back, his hand hovering above the wound. He couldn't touch it, nor could he stop it bleeding. His back ached where the sword had poked out and then been pulled out, and he couldn't gather enough strength to sit up. But he could gather the strength to call out to the others.

'Run!' he shouted with all his remaining strength. He tried to look over to where Nero had approached his friends. 'Get out of here now!'

'Angel, we're not going.' Wesley answered.

'It's not safe here. It's too dangerous. Guys, get out.' He groaned under the pressure of his wound. Nothing had ever taken toll on him like this. Nero was so strong, and such force used against a human could easily kill.

'Angel, we're not leaving and that's final. We're not abandoning you.'

'Wes, get Kathy out!' Angel suddenly shouted, catching Nero's attention. He spun around, giving Wesley time to get away and up the stairs. He sent Gunn out to start the car, and figured that somehow he'd get Kathy out so she could be picked up around the back. He took hold of Cordelia's arm and sent her running down the stairs after Gunn.

Nero took very little time to turn and follow Wesley up the stairs. _She she's up there now, is she?_ He thought to himself. _Simple_.

Angel struggled to get to his feet, accepting help from Fred. 'Run. Now.' Angel instructed, watching her leave the hotel. He, as quickly and painlessly as he could, made his way to Nero. He was already partway up the stairs, so Angel was hurt even more bounding up the stairs. He jumped on Nero's back, grabbing him around the shoulders and neck. Nero threw his shoulders back and Angel dropped to the stairs, rolling back down to the landing.

Angel found that he couldn't move. It just hurt him too much, so he remained still. He watched up the stairs as Nero reached the second floor. He heard Kathy scream, and Wesley shout out for him to back off. Then he heard running footsteps as Wesley charged at Nero, but Nero grabbed him by the arms as he got close and hurled him over the railing. Wesley smashed into the floor below, hearing a crunch as he landed on his right side.

'Aagh!' he cried out loudly, drawing Angel's attention. He looked over at Wesley, who lay struggling to sit up in the middle of the lobby. He was clutching his right upper-arm, on which he had landed on very hard. It was at that moment that Wesley saw Angel, and forced himself to move. He crouched down beside his injured friend. 'Angel…' he began, not sure what to say. The two men were both in excruciating pain, but could do nothing about it.

Wesley looked up to see Kathy hanging from the railing. As Wesley had charged at Nero, Kathy had made a run for it. She'd had to jump over the railing, and Wesley could see Nero standing close to where she was hanging. He left Angel's side and yelled for Kathy to let go.

'You have to trust me!' he shouted. Kathy let go just as Nero was about to grab her wrists and pull her up, and Wesley half caught her with one arm, trying very hard to use his injured arm, but was unable.

All Kathy received from her fall was a twisted ankle, which she had no time to pay attention to. Wesley dragged her towards the door and told her to run. She would find Gunn and Cordelia waiting for her around the corner, and she was told to go with them.

Wesley stayed with Angel. As Angel looked up, he saw Kathy leave.

'Where is she going?' he struggled to speak.

'To safety Angel, she's alright.' Nero appeared beside them, and grabbed hold of Wesley by the throat. He lifted Wesley up, having him gasp for air and try desperately to breath. Nero looked down at Angel before speaking his parting words.

'We will make a trade. The girl for your friend. I want my warrior back.' Nero lowered Wesley to the ground, but did not let go. He led Wesley outside, by the throat, and as Angel looked at Wesley's face he was torn between giving up his sister and giving up his friend.

Author's Note: Ooh… blackmail. I love a good blackmail. I absolutely love writing this, and I hope that people love reading it just as much. I love a good story. There's much more to come though, I promise. Awesome twists and turns, but I won't spoil them yet.

Next chapter: What does Angel do? Does he choose his sister or his friend? What's his choice going to be, and how is he going to get rid of Nero?


	7. Recovery

Author's Note: Thankyou so much to everyone who reviewed. I'm so glad that so many people like this story. Well, I'll keep writing if you keep reviewing.

Chapter Seven: Recovery

For hours Angel lay there on the floor in front of the door, bleeding. He managed to roll onto his side so he had some back support, but every inch of his body ached. After a while, the troops arrived. Faintly, Gunn and the others could be heard outside, and Angel feebly choked out a few words to alert them of his presence.

'Hello? Guys?' He heard footsteps approaching the door, and struggled to see out the glass into the dark of the night. The door slowly began to open, and Angel got a clearer view of Gunn, Fred, Cordelia and Kathy. He smiled up at Kathy as Cordelia led her inside, and then she sheltered the young girl away from the image of her bleeding brother on the floor.

'Angel…' Gunn knelt down next to Angel, trying to figure out what he could do to help. 'What… Where's Wes?' Angel tried to hide his emotion of distraught for as long as possible before replying.

'Nero took him.' He said simply. Gunn's heart sank. The enemy had his friend, and only god knows what he was going to do.

'Dear God…' he moaned.

'Yeah, you might wanna start praying now.' Cordelia replied, trying to be humorous in the dark situation. Nobody answered her, or even gave her a look. She gently brushed back Kathy's hair and combed it with her fingers.

Gunn helped Angel up by one arm and Fred took his other arm. The two led Angel slowly into his office, and sat him down in the armchair after pushing a few papers and a leather-covered book off it. Groaning with excruciating pain, Angel made himself comfortable.

'Angel, what happened?' Gunn asked finally.

'Nero… he's got Wesley.' Angel winced, clutching the wound on his stomach.

'Got him? Do you mean he _kidnapped _Wesley?'

'Yeah, Nero took him.'

'Took him? Took him where?' Gunn pressed.

'I don't know.' Angel answered. 'I don't know.' He sank into the chair, completely unsure of what to do. He didn't tell Gunn yet of the offer Nero proposed, or of his choice. He hadn't made a choice, and couldn't think straight anyway.

'Okay, well we gotta get you cleaned up before that thing gets infected.' Gunn said as he stepped away and left the room. He was referring to Angel's wound. Fred, Cordelia and Kathy stood on the other side of the room, looking over at an injured Angel who lay flopped in the chair.

'Liam?' Kathy spoke up. Angel lifted his head at the sound of her voice.

'Yeah?' Angel replied, with difficulty.

'Is he going to come back for me?' Her innocent eyes made it almost impossible for Angel to lie.

'I think so.'

'Angel.' Cordelia snapped, giving him a look. She didn't want Kathy to get hurt.

'It's alright, really.' Kathy answered. 'I know what he can do. I've come up against him before, and I know that he is tough. I tried to fight him once when he caught me, but all I managed to do was cut off his hand. It grew straight back again within seconds.'

'Honey, you don't have to worry about Nero. He won't be coming back for you, not for a while. You don't have to fear staying here at the hotel. We'll organise a protection spell.' Cordelia assured young Kathy.

'Thankyou.' Kathy smiled up at Cordelia before looking back at her brother.

'Cordy, can I have a word with you? Alone?' Angel asked. Cordelia sent Kathy with Fred to go help Gunn organise some bandages and first aid supplies, leaving her and Angel alone in the room.

'What is it?' Cordelia asked.

'It's about Nero.'

'What? What about him?'

'When he took Wes, he… he made an offer.' Angel fought to speak, feeling his energy totally drained.

'What do you mean _an offer_?' Cordelia asked suspiciously.

'He wants Kathy.' Was Angel's simple reply. Cordelia understood exactly what he meant, unfortunately.

'He wants to make a trade.' She concluded. Angel nodded in response, and the two were silent. Before Cordelia could ask what was Angel's decision, Gunn returned with Kathy.

'I didn't know how many bandages you'd need, so I just grabbed a bunch.' Angel tried to smile at his friend, knowing he was only trying to help. Gunn helped him move up onto his desk and began cleaning his wound, but it was Cordelia who began applying the bandages while Fred kept Kathy occupied in the lobby.

'I think I'd better take it from here Gunn. A woman's touch would be a lot gentler for Angel, rather than you who might hurt him more.' Cordelia said to Gunn, bending down to Angel. He groaned and winced in pain and Cordelia patted some large white sterilized patches over the holes in his stomach and back.

'Ow.' Angel complained.

'Come on Angel, I'm nearly done.' Cordelia coaxed. Gunn had begun to clean up the towels that were covered in Angel's blood, when he heard Cordelia whisper something to Angel. 'What did you decide?'

'I don't know.' Angel answered, louder than he expected. Gunn looked up.

'Decide about what?' he asked suspiciously.

'Angel, you have to tell him. _We_ have to tell him. _And _Fred, and even Kathy. They need to know.' Cordelia told Angel.

'I know.' Angel got to his feet, allowing Cordelia to help him back over to the chair. At least he wasn't hurting as much now. A few hours gave his wound a little time to start to heal. 'You can tell him.' Angel lowered himself to the chair and looked up at Cordelia. She smiled down warmly at him, feeling bad and a little guilty.

'Gunn, when Nero took Wesley he made an offer.' Cordelia began.

'What kind of offer?' Gunn responded.

'The kind of one where we trade Kathy for Wesley.'

'Oh, that kind of trade.'

'Yeah.' There was silence for a few minutes.

'What are we gonna do about it?' Gunn finally asked, mostly directing the question to Angel.

'Well, I don't really know. There is no way we're going to give him Kathy, so somehow we have to come up with a way to get them both. We have to stop Nero.'

'I can show you the books we found with everything there is to know about Nero slash The Collector.' Gunn offered.

'That's a start.' Angel replied. 'Thanks.'

'So where do we go from there?' Cordelia questioned the developing plan.

'Then we stop Nero.' Angel said. 'We do whatever it takes to stop him from getting Kathy, then we get Wes back. And we kick his demon ass back to Hell.'

'I like that plan.' Fred stuck her head inside the door, a grin on her face as she became interested. Kathy appeared beside her.

'Gunn show me those books.'

Author's Note: Another chapter up. Did you notice the little drop-in I made from Angel season 1 when Angel cut of Lindsey's hand? Genius, I reckon. Lol. Well, things are starting to happen. Nero's arrived, fought Angel and has now taken Wesley. Ooh, the storyline's heating up. Tell me what you think. Also, should there be a rating on this? An idea I had for the next chapter seems a little violent, so maybe I should put a warning on there… if I go ahead with it. We'll see.

Next chapter: Nero has Wesley. What do they do to pass the time before Nero decides to return to Angel to find out the answer for his proposition? What does Nero tell Wesley while he's in captivity? And how do Angel and the others work out how to get back Wesley but still keep Kathy? It has something to do with a swimming pool…


	8. Wes In Captivity

Author's Note: Thankyou so much to everyone who reviewed. I'm so glad that so many people like this story. Well, I'll keep writing if you keep reviewing.

_Alan Pitt – I agree, there aren't many Kathy fics out there and those that do exist have her as a vampire. I wanted it to be 'different', although at first I wasn't sure what I wanted her to be. It kind of developed! I'm glad you liked it._

_Fionnin – Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you like it. The deal with the "powers" is that they aren't actually "powers" they are mainly just what Nero's invincibility ritual required to work. They're basically just vital organs, nothing special. Just the juice inside that works the spell. Just so you know, but your idea is good too (with all the demon powers and tackling them one by one). The reason I didn't explain in more detail the whole thing with Nero (at first) was because I didn't think that at that point in time all the Angel crew would completely understand who Nero was and what he wanted as well as all the things about him in Wesley's books. I just wanted to establish some basic things that they would have been able to work out at that point and I figured that would be all I needed. In this chapter there is a general summary of what everyone knows about Nero, plus another little helpful fact for the crew. Enjoy._

_angelplusbuffyequals4eva – I like that Angel can show his brotherly side too. It's great to see him in a different light, and I tried to exploit that a bit, really showing his over-protectiveness of Kathy. And about what will happen to her? Well… let's just say that it's all going to work out eventually. (That translates into I don't know right now lol)._

_Celebwen Telcontar – I try to make my storylines intriguing and interesting. I usually can._

_Mollie R. Moony – glad you think the chapters are 'cool'. _

Rating: just to be sure, I'll put an M rating on this for scenes that may offend some people or that are a little violent and are recommended for mature audiences only. (don't I sound like the TV voice-over people before a movie lol)

Chapter Eight: Wes in Captivity

Wesley woke to find himself tied to a wooden chair. He couldn't move his hands, or his feet. He dipped his head and discovered that his waist was also tied to the chair. As he looked up, Wesley struggled to work out where he was. His eyes were blurry, and he could feel an aching wound on his cheek which he could only guess from the pain and sticky feeling had a little bit of blood escaping. He allowed his head to drop forward again.

'Wesley Wyndham-Pryce.' A deep, raspy voice spoke from across the room. Wesley looked up to find shadows all around him, and the blurriness from his eyes gone. 'Wesley Wyndham-Pryce.' The voice repeated.

'Who are you?' Wesley asked. He was about to ask if his captor was Nero, but was stopped as suddenly a tall figure rushed at him from the darkness and swung a fist that connected with his jaw. 'Ooh.' Wesley grunted, his head rolling to the side with a quick snap. He felt a jab in his neck from the force, before slowly moving his head back to its original position.

'I do the talking here. You only speak when I ask you to speak, understood?' The raspy voice said again. Wesley couldn't see who was speaking to him, but he heard the voice somewhere close off to his left. He nodded in response, receiving a slap across his face. 'Answer me!'

'Yes!' Wesley shouted over the end of his captor's last word.

'Good.' A man crouched down in front of Wesley, and he could finally see who the man who had taken him was, in the light cast through the window by the moon. He had tanned skin, with scars all over his face, neck and arms. He was wearing an army camouflage singlet top, revealing thick muscly arms with a tattoo of a python stretching halfway up his right upper-arm. He also had short black hair, no longer than Angel's.

_Angel_. Wesley just remembered the man he last saw lying at the foot of the stairs in the Hyperion Hotel, bleeding out. He had to ask.

'What did you do with my friends? Angel, and the others?' Wesley soon regretted speaking, as the man in front of him grabbed him by the shoulders and forced his knee into Wesley's stomach. Because he was tied to the chair, Wesley couldn't even hunch over to try and block out the pain. He could do nothing but throw his head back and groan, his eyes clenched shut tightly.

'They got what they deserved for taking my little girl.' The man replied. Wesley desperately wanted to yell at him for what he'd done, remembering the state that Angel was in. But then, he assumed that the others would come back and find him. He said one word to the man, and one word only as he took the hint from _taking my little girl_.

'Nero.' The man grinned from a few feet away.

'Yes, so you've worked it out. You're a little slow off the mark.' Nero sneered.

'Why have you got me here?' Wesley asked.

'Do not speak anymore!' Nero snapped, ready to hit his captive again. 'No more questions.'

'You want to make a trade, right?' Wesley moved his head away and spoke before Nero swung. He froze, hand raised in the air.

'I don't need to make a trade to get what I want. I'm just hoping that having you as a hostage will cloud your leader's judgement, and maybe screw up his thinking.' Nero explained.

'He'll never trade her; you'll never get her. She's not yours to get anyway, she's Angel's sister.' Wesley said.

'Angel killed his sister, and I saved her. She no longer belongs to him, instead she belongs to me. Now, speak again out of turn and I'll cut off one of your fingers.' Nero threatened, and Wesley was silent.

Back at the hotel, Angel was reading over the passages that Gunn had shown him in Wesley's research books. He'd learnt that Nero was also know as the Collector, and that he'd raised an army of slaves to collect various demons' vital organs so he could perform a ritual every 200 years to maintain his invincibility. He'd learnt that at the present time, he was invincible, and that no weapon forged by man or nature could kill him. However, Fred informed him of the discovery she made where a mixture of the four elements water, fire, air and earth could kill him. Then Angel began planning.

He'd worked out a strategy to destroy Nero, but couldn't work out how they were going to get Nero to come to the location, with Wesley.

Angel had worked out that if they met at the local swimming pool, there was already water and air at that location. By somehow managing to start a fight with Nero that Angel could maintain the upper hand in, a truck with dirt could be brought in by Gunn. It would have already been doused with oil or another accelerant, and would simply be lit and dumped into the pool, where Angel would push Nero in. It sounded like an alright plan to Angel, because it was all that he had. He'd spent quite a while planning it. And Angel knew that Wesley was counting on his plan working to save his life. If Angel could only organise everything quickly before Nero returned looking for an answer about his proposition.

And Angel's main concern was Kathy. Cordelia and Fred would have to rush her out of there pretty fast to make sure that Nero didn't come after her.

Suddenly Angel's train of thought was broken. 'I've got it! I've got it!' He heard Fred shouting. Angel, Gunn, Cordelia and Kathy came running into Wesley's little office from their other locations in the hotel to find Fred standing just inside the doorway with a large leather book in her hands.

'What is it Fred?' Angel demanded.

'This guy's invincibility ritual has to be performed every 200 years, right?' she asked. There was a general nod. 'Well the last time his ritual was performed was in 1799.' Fred continued. Blank expressions stared back at her.

'So?' Cordelia asked.

'Well that was exactly 200 years ago. Sometime soon there's got to be a big ritual performed with lots of vital organs. Surely in L.A. and there's no way we can miss that. If he's here, then the ritual must be performed here.'

'We can intervene and stop the ritual before it's completed.' Angel added.

'Then he'll actually be able to be killed.' Gunn concluded. 'Awesome work Fred.' Fred smiled awkwardly, hiding her embarrassment but shining with pride of the discovery she'd made.

'Thanks Fred.' Angel turned and walked off to where he had been before Fred called out. He picked up the sketchbook on his chair and the pencil he'd rested on it, and then sat down. His wound had begun to close up, which was a good thing because he'd need to be able to fight soon when they learnt more about Nero's invincibility ritual. He continued the drawing on the page of a full-body image of Nero. On the back page was Wesley, in the state that Angel last saw him in. His eyes wild with fear and concern for Angel's safety as well as his own. His short stubble on his chin and cheeks, unshaved. The collar of his brown leather coat visible as the drawing only reached his shoulders. And finally, Wesley's mouth. It was half open, twisted in pain, shock, surprise and hurt. He was scared, and it showed.

As Angel flipped the book over and stared down at his drawing of Wesley, he thought back to those final moments when Nero took him. God, he felt like he just wanted to kill Nero. But he knew that Nero was too strong, too powerful. Angel didn't stand a chance unless he found out something about the ritual.

Then he had an idea.

Author's Note: Cliff-hanger, what's Angel's idea? Hmm… writers block sucks. It might be a little while before I post another chapter, but I'll try and make my brain work.


	9. The Hunt for Information

Author's Note: I felt as if Angel didn't know enough info. (Even though there was quite a bit written in this story, Angel doesn't know everything.) So I'm sending him to an old friend. Then to another, who isn't that much of a friend. Lol.

Chapter Nine: The Hunt for Information

A single thought ran through Angel's mind, of the one person he went to for any information he needed. Lorne.

He jumped up, dropped the book on the chair and headed for the door. "I'll be back in a while." He called to whoever was listening. Gunn stuck his head out of Wesley's office where he and Fred were still researching about Nero's invincibility ritual.

"Where you going man?" he asked.

"To Lorne. I'll be back soon."

At the newly remodelled Caritas, Lorne was cleaning up after a night with a full house. He'd just finished wiping down the tables and had turned all the chairs upside down. He was about to head off to bed when he heard knocking.

"Hold on a minute." He called. Angel stopped knocking, and waited for his friend to answer the door. Lorne opened the door to find Angel standing with a troubled look on his face.

"I need your help." Angel told him, and Lorne stepped aside. As Angel walked inside, he closed the door and Lorne led him over to a table. He took the chairs down and sat on one, leaving the other for Angel.

"You're in a bad place right now my friend." Lorne said before Angel even had a chance to explain the situation.

"I need to know about the ritual." Angel answered him.

"First you need to tell me one thing. Why do you fear him?" Angel wasn't taken by surprise. He knew how he felt, even if no one else did. "Why are you so afraid of him, and why are you afraid of others knowing?" Before Angel could answer, he added "is it because of Kathy?"

"He's had Kathy on the run for all this time. She's scared of him, and I'm scared for her." Angel told Lorne. "I don't want everyone else knowing that I'm afraid of this guy, because they all look to me as their protector, especially Cordelia. And now that Kathy's here, everything is harder. And the invincibility isn't helping much."

"I see, well at least you know where you stand with this guy. You know that you're afraid of him getting to Kathy, so that's what you need to overcome. That's the only way you can beat him, if you're not afraid of him." Lorne explained.

"But I _am_ afraid of him. I don't want him getting Kathy."

"And he won't if you believe that he won't." Lorne told him. "You need to have faith and only then can you win against him. Take my work for it, and you'll thank me later."

"Okay, but what can you tell me about the ritual?" Angel pressed. "I need to know as much as possible so that I can stop it."

'Ah Angel, it's this ritual that's got you freaked. You're also afraid that if you can't prevent him from remaining invincible then you'll fail Kathy."

'Enough with the fears alright, I have a job to do. Can you tell me anything or not?" Angel snapped.

"Alright big guy, no need to get grouchy. The ritual is going to take place in a building owned by Wolfram and Hart." Angel rolled his eyes as soon as he heard those words.

"Aagh!" he groaned. "I should have known Wolfram and Hart had something to do with this."

"Angel, the building is about five blocks from here. You'll find a couple of guys in the basement with everything they need to perform the ritual. You have 24 hours, and then it will happen. Prepare yourself Angel, and I think you know how much I don't need to stress that."

'Yeah. Thanks Lorne. I think I might pay a visit to an old friend." Angel got up and left, leaving Lorne alone. He sighed, packed up the chairs and went to bed.

At Lilah's office in the Wolfram and Hart building, Angel found his way inside. The vampire detectors must have been triggered and Angel guessed that he only had a few minutes before security would arrive and escort him out. He knew they wouldn't dust him, they needed him.

"Angel." Lilah looked up to find a familiar face staring back at her. "What brings you here?"

"Lilah, understand me when I say that I don't have time to screw around, so I'm going to be quick."

"Oh, and I had a great night planned for the two of us." Lilah shot back sarcastically. Angel walked around the desk just as Lilah rose to her feet. He grabbed her by the neck and dragged her over to the nearest clear space of wall. He pressed her against the wall, forcing pressure on her windpipe. She gasped, and Angel whispered in her ear.

"You're working with a guy named Nero. I want everything you've got on him, now." Lilah reached into her pocket and pulled out a cell phone. Angel loosened his grip, feeling a stab in his stomach from his injury. Lilah didn't notice. She dialled a number and held the phone to her ear.

"Gus, get me the file on Nero from the records room please. Bring it to my office now." She put her phone back in her pocket and Angel removed his hand and walked away.

"How long before it gets here?" Angel asked.

"A few minutes. Why?" Lilah responded.

"Do I look like I'm in a talking mood Lilah? I just want to know about Nero. Everything you've got, I want."

'Right. Got it." Lilah nodded. "It's all coming right here, right now. But can I ask you something?"

"No." Angel answered, but Lilah asked anyway.

"Nero has a connection with you, I know."

'Lilah, don't – " Angel jumped in, but she continued.

"Kathy is the connection. You want to stop him, don't you?" She was beginning to figure everything out, and she was getting on Angel's nerves.

"Lilah." Angel vamped out and took a step towards her, making her step back. "Do not say her name, understood?"

"Right. I understand." At that moment, a man walked into the office holding a file folder.

'You wanted everything we've got on Nero?" the man said. "Here it is. _Everything_."

"You can leave now Gus, thank you." Lilah took the file from his hands and brought it over to her desk. She placed it down and was about to open it when Angel snatched it.

"No Lilah, thank _you_." He turned and exited the same way he came in, leaving Lilah to watch his coat flip as he spun and left. Gus stood at the door, watching as Angel jumped up into an air duct in the ceiling and disappeared.

Back at the Hyperion Hotel, Angel reappeared with the file on Nero. Cordelia and Kathy greeted him as he entered the lobby from under the stairs.

"Angel." Cordelia said. "We haven't heard anything."

"I'm not expecting Nero to appear for another day at least." Angel replied. "Lorne said that the ritual won't take place until 24 hours from now."

'Well that's good then. It'll give you time to heal before you have to face him." Cordelia said positively.

"Yeah." Angel looked down t Kathy who stood beside Cordelia. "How are you holding up?" he asked her.

"I've been keeping her safe Angel. She hasn't left my sight." Cordelia assured him. He nodded in thanks.

"She's been really nice." Kathy said sweetly. "I like your friends." Angel smiled down at her, praying that she'd be safe after all this was over.

Then he remembered what Lorne had told him. _The only way you can beat him is if you're not afraid of him_. So over and over in his head, Angel told himself that Kathy would be safe.

_She will be fine. She's going to be fine. She's safe. I'll protect her. But what if I can't? What if I can't save her?_ His thoughts were beginning to stray.

"Kathy, is there anything you can tell me about Nero? Anything that you might be afraid of?" Angel asked, kneeling down to be at her level.

"I… I don't fear and part of him.' Kathy answered. "I only fear _him_."

"Okay Kathy." Angel whispered before getting to his feet. He turned to Cordelia. "Cordy, keep her safe. I'll be in my room."

'Okay Angel." Cordelia answered. She took hold of Kathy's hand. "I'll take Kathy out for some fresh air." Angel nodded and watched as the two women he cared about walked away from him. He knew that Cordelia could only protect Kathy for so long. However, he also knew that for over 200 years Kathy was a warrior, like himself. He knew that she could take care of herself, but he didn't want to put complete faith in her to _save_ herself because he would have no one to blame but himself if anything happened to her. He was afraid for her safety, which gave him to things to fear.

Keeping that in mind, Angel trudged upstairs to his room, closing the door behind him. He walked over to his bed, removed his shoes and climbed in. Pulling the covers up, he lay there in the mid hours of the morning thinking about Kathy, Nero and the man he was trying to save. Wesley.

Author's Note: Sorry it took such a while to update. But I do have good reasons:

1. I had (and sort of still have) writer's block – really sucks, I can tell you

2. I can only go on the Internet on the weekends, so I'm limited for uploading time

3. With school I've been really busy doing other things, and I've tried to shove some writing in amongst everything else. It just takes time to write, and the ideas have to be there too.

So please don't sue me! I tried. Tell me what you think of the latest instalment.

And just to clear things up for people who may be thinking it, I didn't ever fully understand how (in the show) whenever Angel went to Lorne he always seemed to know everything else that Angel didn't. So I went out on a limb and tried writing that into this story. I hope it worked, it didn't seem so bad when I read over it.


End file.
